A domestic abuser who fled Fife to France to dodge court proceedings and is now wanted on the Continent, has been jailed.
A jury in Kirkcaldy found international fugitive Ian Nicol, 45, guilty of six charges against three women, including headbutting a woman in the mouth and posting online an indecent photo of another.
Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane jailed him for three years, backdated to August, and furnished him with a trio of non-harassment orders to protect his victims.
His defence advocate Bill Adam explained lorry driver Nicol left the country after being served with indictment charges, separate to these crimes, which were eventually dropped.
He acknowledged: “There really is only the possibility of a custodial sentence.
“He had been residing in France for a number of years.
“Before being remanded, he lived in Kelty.
“There are no drink or drug issues. There was in the past.
“He recognised that these difficulties were impacting on his relationship partners and he has himself addressed these matters.”
Mr Adam told the court his client recognises he has anger management issues.
“He will seek the services in prison of anyone who’d be willing to help him but he certainly realises that there are issues.
“I suppose that’s the first step.”
Victims waited years to give evidence
Mr Adam said Nicol accepts “almost all” of the charges of which he was convicted but still disputes individual factors, such as a headbutt.
Sheriff McFarlane told Nicol, who appeared from HMP Perth by video link, “Whilst I accept that certain deletions were made after the evidence and by the jury, I’m still left with the charges before me.
“The evidence I heard was from the three complainers who, over the course of 15 to 16 years, were subject to abusive and aggressive behaviour by you in some shape or form.
“I think you recognise that this would have been upsetting for them and it would have been stressful and embarrassing for them.”
The sheriff pointed out the three women had waited for years to give the evidence.
Wanted in France
Following the verdict, it emerged Nicol had failed to appear at a court hearing in March 2015 in relation to the offending.
Instead, he went to live in France and a European arrest warrant was obtained.
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland told the court after the four-day trial: “As I understand it, in the intervening period he did in fact return to the UK and was arrested.
“In terms of outstanding matters, there’s now an extradition process ongoing the other way.
“French authorities are trying to extradite him.”
Years of offending
Nicol was convicted of sending messages and images to one woman which were grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, on various occasions in Glenrothes and elsewhere, between November 2008 and September 2009.
He also took an indecent photo of the woman in her underwear without her knowledge or consent and sent it to her, threatening to post it on the internet.
On various occasions between January 2005 and November 2008 he assaulted the woman by seizing her by the body and pushing her, causing her to fall.
Nicol acted in a threatening or abusive manner towards another woman in the town by posting an indecent image of her on her personal social media account, in August 2013.
He attacked a third woman at a different address in Glenrothes by pinning her against a wall and on a bed, striking her on the body, and headbutting her in the mouth to her injury, on various occasions between May 1999 and November 2000.
He was also convicted of acting in an abusive and threatening manner towards the same woman by throwing items about, damaging walls and breaking glass panes in a door.
The court heard Nicol has one previous conviction of assaulting a woman, from 2008.
